Day 's our own Their Ranks are broke down down with Albany Who holds my Hands O thou deceiving Sleep I was this very Minute on the Chace And now a Prisoner here What mean the Slaves You will not Murder me Cord. Help Earth and Heaven For your Souls sake's dear Sirs and for the Gods Offic. No Tears good Lady no pleading against Gold and Preferment Come Sirs make ready your Câ—â—ds Cord. You Sir I 'll seize You have a humane Form and if no Pray'rs Can touch your Soul to spare a poor King's Life If there be any Thing that you hold dear By That I beg you to dispatch me First Capt. Comply with her Request dispatch her First Lear. Off Hell-hounds by the Gods I charge you spare her 'T is my Cordelia my true pious Daughter No Pity Nay then take an old Man's Vengeance Snatches a Partizan and strikes down two of them the rest quit Cordelia and turn upon him Enter Edgar and Albany Edg. Death Hell Ye Vultures hold your impious Hands Or take a speedier Death than you wou'd give Capt. By whose Command Edg. Behold the Duke your Lord. Alb. Guards seize those Instruments of Cruelty Cord. My Edgar Oh! Edg. My dear Cordelia Lucky was the Minute Of our Approach the Gods have weigh'd our Suffrings W' are past the Fire and now must shine to Ages Gent. Look here my Lord see where the generous King Has slain Two of 'em Lear. Did I not Fellow I 've seen the Day with my good biting Faulchion I cou'd have made 'em skip I am Old now And these vile Crosses spoil me Out of Breath Fie Oh! quite out of Breath and spent Alb. Bring in old Kent and Edgar guide you hither Your Father whom you said was near Ex. Edgar He may be an Ear-witness at the least Of our Proceedings Kent brought in here Lear. Who are you My Eyes are none o'th'best I 'll tell you streight Oh Albany Well Sir we are your Captives And you are come to see Death pass upon us Why this Delay or is' t your Highness pleasure To give us first the Torture Say ye so Why here 's old Kent and I as tough a Pair As e'er bore Tyrant's Stroke but my Cordelia My poor Cordelia here O pitty Alb. Take off their Chains Thou injur'd Majesty The Wheel of Fortune now has made her Circle And Blessings yet stand 'twixt thy Grave and Thee Lear. Com'st Thou inhumane Lord to sooth us back To a Fool 's Paradise of Hope to make Our Doom more wretched go too we are too well Acquainted with Misfortune to be gull'd With Lying Hope No we will hope no more Alb. I have a Tale t' unfold so full of Wonder As cannot meet an easy Faith But by that Royal injur'd Head 't is True Kent What wou'd your Highness Alb. Know the noble Edgar Impeacht Lord Edmund since the Fight of Treason And dar'd him for the Proof to single Combat In which the Gods confirm'd his Charge by Conquest I left ev'n now the Traytor wounded Mortally Lear. And whither tends this Story Alb. E'er they fought Lord Edgar gave into my Hands this Paper A blacker Scrowl of Treason and of Lust Than can be found in the Records of Hell There Sacred Sir behold the Character Of Gonerill the worst of Daughters but More Vicious Wife Cord. Cou'd there be yet Addition to their Guilt What will not They that wrong a Father doe Alb. Since then my Injuries Lear fall in with Thine I have resolv'd the same Redress for Both. Kent What says my Lord Cord. Speak for me thought I heard The charming Voice of a descending God Alb. The Troops by Edmnnd rais'd I have disbanded Those that remain are under my Command What Comfort may be brought to cheer your Age And heal your savage Wrongs shall be apply'd For to your Majesty we do Refign Your Kingdom save what Part your Self conferr'd On Us in Marriage Kent Hear you that my Liege Cord. Then there are Gods and Vertue is their Care Lear. Is' t Possible Let the Spheres stop their Course the Sun make Hault The Winds be husht the Seas and Fountains Rest All Nature pause and listen to the Change Where is my Kent my Cajus Kent Here my Liege Lear. Why I have News that will recall thy Youth Ha! Didst Thou hear 't or did th' inspiring Gods Whisper to me Alone Old Lear shall be A King again Kent The Prince that like a God has Pow'r has said it Lear. Cordelia then shall be a Queen mark that Cordelia shall be Queen Winds catch the Sound And bear it on your rosie Wings to Heav'n Cordelia is a Queen Re-enter Edgar with Gloster Alb. Look Sir where pious Edgar comes Leading his Eye-less Father O my Liege His wondrous Story will deserve your Leisure What He has done and suffer'd for your Sake What for the Fair Cordelia's Glost. Where is my Liege Conduct me to his Knees to hail His second Birth of Empire my dear Edgar Has with himself reveal'd the King's blest Restauration Lear. My poor dark Gloster Glost. O let me kiss that once more sceptred Hand Lear. Hold Thou mistak'st the Majesty kneel here Cordelia has our Pow'r Cordelia's Queen Speak is not that the noble Suffring Edgar Glost. My pious Son more dear than my lost Eyes Lear. I wrong'd Him too but here 's the fair Amends Edg. Your leave my Liege for an unwelcome Message Edmund but that 's a Triflle is expir'd What more will touch you your imperious Daughters Gonerill and haughty Regan both are Dead Each by the other poison'd at a Banquet This Dying they confest Cord. O fatal Period of ill-govern'd Life Lear. Ingratefull as they were my Heart feels yet A Pang of Nature for their wretched Fall But Edgar I defer thy Joys too long Thou serv'dst distrest Cordelia take her Crown'd Th' imperial Grace fresh Blooming on her Brow Nay Gloster Thou hast here a Father's Right Thv helping Hand t'heap Blessings on their Head Kent Old Kent throws in his hearty Wishes too Edg. The Gods and You too largely recompence What I have done the Gift strikes Merit Dumb. Cord. Nor do I blush to own my Self o'er paid For all my Suffrings past Glost. Now gentle Gods give Gloster his Discharge Lear. No Gloster Thou hast Business yet for Life Thou Kent and I retir'd to some cool Cell Will gently pass our short reserves of Time In calm Reflections on our Fortunes past Cheer'd with relation of the prosperous Reign Of this celestial Pair Thus our Remains Shall in an even Course of Thought be past Enjoy the present Hour nor fear the Last Edg. Our drooping Country now erects her Head Peace spreads her balmy Wings and Plenty Blooms Divine Cordelia all the Gods can witness How much thy Love to Empire I prefer Thy bright Example shall convince the World Whatever Storms of Fortune are decreed That Truth and Vertue shall at last succeed Ex. Omnes FINIS EPILOGUE Spoken by Mrs. BARRY INconstancy the reigning Sin o' th' Age Will scarce endure true Lovers on the Stage You hardly ev'n in Plays with such dispense And Poëts kill 'em in their own Defence Yet One bold Proof I was resolv'd to give That I cou'd three Hours Constancy Out-live You fear perhaps whilst on the Stage w' are made Such Saints we shall indeed take up the Trade Sometimes we Threaten but our Vertue may For Truth I fear with your Pit-Valour weigh For not to flatter either I much doubt When We are off the Stage and You are out We are not quite so Coy nor You so Stout We talk of Nunn'ries but to be sincere Whoever lives to see us Cloyster'd There May hope to meet our Critiques at Tangier For shame give over this inglorious Trade Of worrying Poëts and go maule th' Alcade Well since y' are All for blustring in the Pit This Play 's Reviver humbly do's admit Your abs'lute Pow'r to damn his Part of it But still so many Master-Touches shine Of that vast Hand that first laid this Design That in great Shakespear's Right He 's bold to say If you like nothing you have seen to Day The Play your Judgment damns not you the Play Mr. Dryd Pref. to the Span. Fryar
Man My Father poorly led depriv'd of Sight The precious Stones torn from their bleeding Rings Some-thing I heard of this inhumane Deed But disbeliev'd it as an Act too horrid For the hot Hell of a curst Woman's fury When will the measure of my woes be full Glost. Revenge thou art afoot Success attend Thee Well have I sold my Eyes if the Event Prove happy for the injur'd King Old M. O my good Lord I have been your Tenant and your Father's Tenant these Fourscore years Glost. Away get thee Away good Friend be gone Thy Comforts can do me no good at All Thee they may hurt Old M. You cannot see your Way Glost. I have no Way and therefore want no Eyes I stumbled when I saw O dear Son Edgar The Food of thy abused Father's Wrath Might I but live to see thee in my Touch I 'd say I had Eyes agen Edg. Alas he 's sensible that I was wrong'd And shou'd I own my Self his tender Heart Would break betwixt th' extreams of Grief and Joy Old M. How now who 's There Edg. A Charity for poor Tom. Play fair and defie the foul Fiend O Gods and must I still persue this Trade Aside Trifling beneath such Loads ofMisery Old M. 'T is poor mad Tom. Glost. In the late Storm I such a Fellow saw Which made me think a Man a Worm Where is the Lunatick Old M. Here my Lord. Glost. Get thee now away if for my sake Thou wilt o're-take us hence a Mile or Two I' th' way tow'rd Dover do 't for ancient Love And bring some cov'ring for this naked Wretch Whom I 'll intreat to lead me Old M. Alack my Lord He 's Mad. Glost. 'T is the Time's Plague when Mad-men lead the Blind Do as I bid thee Old M. I 'll bring him the best ' Parrel that I have Come on 't what will Exit Glost. Sirrah naked Fellow Edg. Poor Tom's a cold I cannot fool it longer And yet I must bless thy sweet Eyes they Bleed Believe 't poor Tom ev'n weeps his Blind to see ' em Glost. Know'st thou the way to Dover Edg. Both Stile and Gate Horse-way and Foot-path poor Tom has been scar'd out of his good Wits bless every true Man's Son from the foul Fiend Glost. Here take this Purse that I am wretched Makes thee the Happier Heav'n deal so still Thus let the griping Userers Hoard be Scatter'd So Distribution shall undo Excess And each Man have enough Dost thou know Dover Edg. I Master Glost. There is a Cliff whose high and bending Head Looks dreadfully down on the roaring Deep Bring me but to the very Brink of it And I 'll repair the Poverty thou bearst With something Rich about me from that Place I shall no leading need Edg. Give me thy Arm poor Tom shall guid thee Glost. Soft for I hear the Tread ofPassengers Enter Kent and Cordelia Cord. Ah me your Fear 's too true it was the King I spoke but now with some that met him As Mad as the vext Sea Singing aloud Crown'd with rank Femiter and furrow Weeds With Berries Burdocks Violets Dazies Poppies And all the idle Flow'rs that grow In our sustaining Corn conduct me to him To prove my last Endeavours to restore him And Heav'n so prosper thee Kent I will good Lady Ha Gloster here turn poor dark Man and hear A Friend's Condolement who at Sight of thine Forgets his own Distress thy old true Kent Glost. How Kent from whence return'd Kent I have not since my Banishment been absent But in Disguise follow'd the abandon'd King 'T was me thou saw'st with him in the late Storm Glost. Let me embrace thee had I Eyes I now Should weep for Joy but let this trickling Blood Suffice instead of Tears Cord. O misery To whom shall I complain or in what Language Forgive O wretched Man the Piety That brought thee to this pass 't was I that caus'd it I cast me at thy Feet and beg of thee To crush these weeping Eyes to equal Darkness If that will give thee any Recompence Edg. Was ever Season so distrest as This Aside Glost. I think Cordelia's Voice rise pious Princess And take a dark Man's Blessing Cord. O my Edgar My Vertue 's now grown Guilty works the Bane Of those that do befriend me Heav'n forsakes me And when you look that Way it is but Just That you shou'd hate me too Edg. O wave this cutting Speech and spare to wound A Heart that 's on the Rack Glost. No longer cloud thee Kent in that Disguise There 's business for thee and of noblest weight Our injur'd Country is at length in Arms Urg'd by the King 's inhumane Wrongs and Mine And only want a Chief to lead 'em on That Task be Thine Edg. Brave Britains then there 's Life in 't yet Aside Kent Then have we one cast for our Fortune yet Come Princess I 'll bestow you with the King Then on the Spur to Head these Forces Farewell good Gloster to our Conduct trust Glost. And be your Cause as Prosp'rous as t is Just. Exeunt Gonerill's Palace Enter Gonerill Attendants Gon. It was great Ignorance Gloster's Eyes being out To let him live where he arrives he moves All Hearts against us Edmund I think is gone In pity to his Misery to dispatch him Gent. No Madam he 's return'd on speedy Summons Back to your Sister Gon. Ha! I like not That Such speed must have the Wings of Love where 's Albany Gent. Madam within but never Man so chang'd I told him of the uproar of the Peasants He smil'd at it when I inform'd him Of Gloster's Treason Gon. Trouble him no further It is his coward Spirit back to our Sister Hasten her Musters and let her know I have giv'n the Distaff into my Husband's Hands That done with special Care deliver these Dispatches In private to young Gloster Enter a Messenger Mess. O Madam most unseasonable News The Duke of Cornwall's Dead of his late Wound Whose loss your Sister has in part supply'd Making brave Edmund General of her Forces Gon. One way I like this well But being Widow and my Gloster with her May blast the promis'd Harvest of our Love A word more Sir add Speed to your Journey And if you chance to meet with that blind Traytor Preferment falls on him that cuts him off Exeunt Field SCENE Gloster and Edgar Glost. When shall we come to th' Top of that same Hill Edg. We climb it now mark how we Labour Glost. Methinks the Ground is even Edg. Horrible Steep heark do you hear the Sea Glost. No truly Edg. Why then your other Senses grow imperfect By your Eyes Anguish Glost. So may it be indeed Methinks thy Voice is alter'd and thou speak'st In better Phrase and Matter than thou did'st Edg. You are much deceiv'd in nothing am I Alter'd But in my Garments Glost. Methinks y' are better Spoken Edg. Come on Sir here 's the Place how fearfull And dizy 't is to
white head that urge me still To curse in Age the pleasure of my Youth Nay weep not Edmund for thy Brother's crimes O gen'rous Boy thou shar'st but half his blood Yet lov'st beyond the kindness of a Brother But I 'll reward thy Vertue Follow me My Lord you wait the King who comes resolv'd To quit the Toils of Empire and divide His Realms amongst his Daughters Heaven succeed it But much I fear the Change Kent I grieve to see him With such wild starts of passion hourly seiz'd As renders Majesty beneath it self Glost. Alas 't is the Infirmity of his Age Yet has his Temper ever been unfixt Chol'rick and suddain hark They approach Exeunt Gloster and Bast. Flourish Enter Lear Cornwall Albany Burgundy Edgar Goneril Regan Cordelia Edgar speaking to Cordelia at Entrance Edgar Cordelia royal Fair turn yet once more And e're successfull Burgundy receive The treasure of thy Beauties from the King E're happy Burgundy for ever fold Thee Cast back one pitying Look on wretched Edgar Cord. Alas what wou'd the wretched Edgar with The more Unfortunate Cordelia Who in obedience to a Father's will Flys from her Edgar's Arms to Burgundy's Lear. Attend my Lords of Albany and Cornwall With Princely Burgundy Alb. We do my Liege Lear. Give me the Mapp know Lords We have divided In Three our Kingdom having now resolved To disengage from Our long Toil of State Conferring All upon your younger years You Burgundy Cornwall and Albany Long in Our Court have made your amorous sojourn And now are to be answer'd tell me my Daughters Which of you Loves Us most that We may place Our largest Bounty with the largest Merit Gonerill Our Eldest-born speak first Gon. Sir I do love You more than words can utter Beyond what can be valu'd Rich or Rare Nor Liberty nor Sight Health Fame or Beauty Are half so dear my Life for you were vile As much as Child can love the best of Fathers Lear. Of all these Bounds ev'n from this Line to this With shady Forests and wide-skirted Meads We make Thee Lady to thine and Albany's Issue Be this perpetual What says Our Second Daughter Reg. My Sister Sir in part exprest my Love For such as Hers is mine though more extended Sense has no other Joy that I can relish I have my All in my dear Lieges Love Lear. Therefore to thee and thine Hereditary Remain this ample Third of our fair Kingdom Cord. Now comes my Trial how am I distrest That must with cold speech tempt the chol'rick King Rather to leave me Dowerless than condemn me To loath'd Embraces Lear. Speak now Our last not least in Our dear Love So ends my Task of State Cordelia speak What canst Thou say to win a richer Third Than what thy Sisters gain'd Cord. Now must my Love in words fall short of theirs As much as it exceeds in Truth Nothing my Lord. Lear. Nothing can come of Nothing speak agen Cord. Unhappy am I that I can't dissemble Sir as I ought I love your Majesty No more nor less Lear. Take heed Cordelia Thy Fortunes are at stake think better on 't And mend thy Speech a little Cord. O my Liege You gave me Being Bred me dearly Love me And I return my Duty as I ought Obey you Love you and most Honour you Why have my Sisters Husbands if they love you All Happ'ly when I shall Wed the Lord whose Hand Shall take my Plight will carry half my Love For I shall never marry like my Sisters To Love my Father All. Lear. And goes thy Heart with this 'T is said that I am Chol'rick judge me Gods Is there not cause now Minion I perceive The Truth of what has been suggested to Us Thy Fondness for the Rebel Son of Gloster False to his Father as Thou art to my Hopes And oh take heed rash Girl lest We comply With thy fond wishes which thou wilt too late Repent for know Our nature cannot brook A Child so young and so Ungentle Cord. So young my Lord and True Lear. Thy Truth then be thy Dow'r For by the sacred Sun and solemn Night I here disclaim all my paternal Care And from this minute hold thee as a Stranger Both to my Blood and Favour Kent This is Frenzy Consider good my Liege Lear. Peace Kent Come not between a Dragon and his Rage I lov'd her most and in her tender Trust Design'd to have bestow'd my Age at Ease So be my Grave my Peace as here I give My Heart from her and with it all my Wealth My Lords of Cornwall and of Albany I do invest you jointly with full Right In this fair Third Cordelia's forfeit Dow'r Mark me My Lords observe Our last Resolve Our Self attended with an hundred Knights Will make Aboad with you in monthly Course The Name alone of King remain with me Yours be the Execution and Revenues This is Our final Will and to confirm it This Coronet part between you Kent Royal Lear Whom I have ever honour'd as my King Lov'd as my Father as my Master follow'd And as my Patron thought on in my Pray'rs Lear. Away the Bow is bent make from the Shaft Kent No let it fall and drench within my Heart Be Kent unmannerly when Lear is mad Thy youngest Daughter Lear. On thy Life no more Kent What wilt thou doe old Man Lear. Out of my sight Kent See better first Lear. Now by the gods Kent Now by the gods rash King thou swear'st in vain Lear. Ha Traytour Kent Do kill thy Physician Lear Strike through my Throat yet with my latest Breath I 'll Thunder in thine Ear my just Complaint And tell Thee to thy Face that Thou dost ill Lear. Hear me rash Man on thy Allegiance hear me Since thou hast striv'n to make Us break our Vow And prest between our Sentence and our Pow'r Which nor our Nature nor our Place can bear We banish thee for ever from our Sight And Kingdom if when Three days are expir'd Thy hated Trunk be found in our Dominions That moment is thy Death Away Kent Why fare thee well King since thou art resolv'd I take thee at thy word and will not stay To see thy Fall the gods protect the Maid That truly thinks and has most justly said Thus to new Climates my old Truth I bear Friendship lives Hence and Banishment is Here. Exit Lear. Now Burgundy you see her Price is faln Yet if the fondness of your Passion still Affects her as she stands Dow'rless and lost In our Esteem she 's yours take her or leave her Burg. Pardon me Royal Lear I but demand The Dow'r your Self propos'd and here I take Cordelia by the Hand Dutchess of Burgundy Lear. Then leave her Sir for by a Father's rage I tell you all her Wealth Away Burg. Then Sir be pleas'd to charge the breach Of our Alliance on your own Will Not my Inconstancy Exeunt Manent Edgar and Cordelia Edg. Has Heaven then weigh'd the merit of